Lincoln County Sheriff’s reports - June 4, 2014

Thursday, June 05, 2014 4:40 PM

A 29-year-old Merrill man remains in the Lincoln County Jail after a traffic stop in the Town of Pine River led to an arrest. The deputy was patrolling on County Rd. X near Barker Rd. when he observed a motorcycle heading south and the radar indicated the motorcycle was traveling at 83 MPH in the 55 MPH zone. When the deputy stopped the motorcycle near State Rd. 64, the driver lied to him and provided a false name. As the deputy was checking on his information, he observed the man remove a plastic baggie from his pocket and try to bury it on the shoulder of the road. The baggie was recovered and its contents later tested positive for marijuana. A Merrill Police Officer specially trained in recognizing drivers impaired by drugs performed field sobriety tests on the suspect and he was taken into custody for driving under the influence of drugs. The man was later brought to the Lincoln County Jail where he was charged with obstructing an officer, possession of marijuana, and probation violation. He was also cited for second offense operating while intoxicated, operating after revocation speeding and having no motorcycle endorsement. He remains jailed on the probation hold.
A 41-year-old Merrill woman was arrested Wednesday afternoon on a warrant charge. The woman appeared in Lincoln County Court for an initial appearance but a check showed a warrant had been issued for her in March by the Wisconsin Department of Corrections for probation violation. The woman was brought to the Lincoln County Jail where she remained as of Sunday. On Thursday, a 26-year-old Merrill man was arrested on a Merrill municipal warrant. Again the man made an initial appearance on a new charge and a check showed he was wanted by the Merrill Municipal Court for contempt. He was brought to the Lincoln County Jail and held.
A 62-year-old disabled man from southeast Wisconsin was found safe on Wednesday afternoon after becoming lost. The man was staying at a seasonal cabin off of County Rd. D in the Town of King when he left with the family dogs and did not return. The man had been walking the road while staying at the cabin this past week but his family became concerned when he did not return after an hour. Tomahawk EMS along with Tomahawk firefighters and deputies went to the area and began checking. WJJQ Radio in Tomahawk broadcasted a description and within minutes a resident about half a mile away to the west called the Sheriff’s Office and reported the man and dogs were just at his home. A Tomahawk firefighters found the man minutes later and he was checked by Tomahawk EMS but found to be in good health. The man and his dogs went home with family members.
Two Merrill residents were arrested on Thursday afternoon after a traffic stop in the city Of Merrill. A caller phoned the Sheriff’s Office around 3:30 p.m. and reported a possibly impaired driver. A few minutes later, a deputy saw the same vehicle drive by the Sheriff’s Office and he stopped it in the 300 block of E. 1st St. When contact with made with the driver, a 26-year-old Merrill woman, she displayed signs of being impaired by a narcotic so a Merrill Police Officer who is specially trained in recognizing drivers impaired by narcotics came to the scene and placed the woman through field sobriety tests. As a result of those tests, she was taken into custody on a charge of operating a motor vehicle while impaired by drugs. A check showed the woman was out on two misdemeanor and one felony bond for cases in both Lincoln and Marathon counties. One of the bonds was a signature bond that was issued nine days earlier when the woman was arrested by the Merrill Police Department for neglecting a child, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana and two counts of bail jumping. After the woman’s initial court appearance on Friday, she was released after posting a $100 cash bond that was set by a Lincoln County Judge. The passenger in the car, a 17-year-old Merrill man, was brought to the Lincoln County Jail where he was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia. He remains jailed on a probation hold.
Two people received minor injuries including a deputy after a two-car crash Friday evening in the Town of Pine River. The incident began when a driver who was southbound on State Rd. 17 pulled out in front of a vehicle traveling east on State Rd. 64, causing a collision which caused one of the vehicles to collide with a marked patrol car that was stopped facing north on County Rd. W. The driver of the vehicle that caused the crash was an 89-year-old Wausau woman, she was cited by the Merrill Police Department who investigated the crash for failure to yield. The deputy and the driver of the other vehicle, a 49-year-old Merrill woman both sought treatment on their own at Ministry Good Samaritan Health Center after the crash.
The number of car deer crashes has more than doubled since last week and motorists are reminded to use extra caution as June is a very dangerous month for animal crashes. Fourteen people reported striking deer this past week. There are several reasons for the increase at this time of year including plenty of green grass on the side of the roadway, pesky bugs who chase deer out of the woods and mothers who are searching for a place to give birth or young deer who wander away from their mothers. A bear was also struck this past week. That crash took place on Thursday night on US Hwy. 51 near County Rd. Q in the Town of Scott. The Antigo man who struck the bear reported minor damage and the bear ran off.